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Rochdale 0 Cheltenham 1 - Full match report
Rochdale 0 Cheltenham 1 - Full match report
Wednesday, 19th Aug 2009 07:49

On Saturday we saw how satisfying football can be, last night however, we saw the flip side of that in the cruellest possible way.

With Dale having outplayed Cheltenham Town at Spotland, it seemed criminal for Dale not to go away with three points.  Somehow, they went away with absolutely nothing thanks to a last minute winner by Banana Man himself, Julian Alsop following an unfortunate error by Marcus Holness. 

Given our good start to the season, there was no need for changes other than the enforced one that brought Marcus Holness into the team to replace Nathan Stanton.  Other than that it was a case of as you were with Dale lining up with Arthur, Flynn, TK, Holness, Dawson, Thompson, Rundle, Jones, JK, Buckley and Dagnall.  On the bench were Edwards, Wiseman, Brown, Stephens, Higginbotham, Shaw and Spencer. 

Dale started off on the wrong foot really with Cheltenham creating the first decent chance which saw Elvis Hammond smash an effort goalwards in which Arthur could only parry it but he managed to collect the ball before Denton got there. 

We started to get to grips with the game and it wasn’t long before we were creating our own chances.  Joey Thompson set up Will Buckley who hit a shot narrowly wide of the post. 

We thought we had scored not long after that when Craig Dawson got his head to a great cross from Rundle and it looked close to being over the line but the linesman had his flag up for offside anyway.  I say it looked close to being over, I was stood in the Sandy so really I didn’t have a clue. 

The Robins almost sucker punched Dale when Bozanic hit a dipping effort which Arthur had to push over the bar for a corner. 

Then came the talking point of the half, for Dale fans especially.  A quite magnificent Adam Rundle cross (yep, you read that right, he’s learned to cross) was put on a plate for an unmarked Chris Dagnall to slot home on the volley from 12 yards but nope, he inexplicably blazed it over the bar.  How I’m not sure as it really was easier to hit the target.  Keith Hill could have been easily forgiven for doing a Harry Redknapp and claiming his missus could have scored.  Similar things were being said in the stands I can assure you!  Nevertheless, it stayed 0-0. 

Cheltenham should have scored at the other end shortly after as well to be fair.  Justin Richards picked up the ball and Matty Flynn was caught completely out of position but made the space up to try and win the ball back.  He failed to do that and caught Richards instead causing him to stumble.  The much travelled striker opted to stay on his feet and try to finish but his curling effort passed Arthur but clipped the outside of the post when he should really have buried it.  It’s a very good job he stayed on his feet really because Flynn was the last man and had Richards gone down, we’d have been down to ten men just like on Saturday and nobody could have argued with it.  A big let off for Dale. 

The impressive Craig Dawson sprayed a magnificent 50 yard pass out to Adam Rundle who set up Jones who smashed it just over the bar with a shot as sweetly hit as he’s hit in the past couple of years!   This long range passing by Dawson does seem to be a great attribute for the lad.  He’s really shown an ability to look up and spray a great ball out wide unlike any other centre back we have. 

Dale began the second half very brightly and Adam Rundle had a good effort well saved by Brown having cut inside and hit one towards the far corner. 

Tom Denton, up front for the visitors was spared a lot of blushes by the linesman after his glorious effort was completely scuffed when one on one with Arthur before the lino put his flag up for offside. 

Dale went close to scoring again when a deflected cross was just too far in front of Joey T to get a good connection on a volley.  Had there not been a deflection, it would have been 1-0 without question. Chances came and went for both sides as the second half went on. 

Craig Dawson went close with a header from a corner before his mistake shortly after let in Barry Hayles whose shot was wide of the post. 

We were discussing in the Sandy about possibly changes and I said I’d take Thompson off, bring Spencer on and put Buckley out wide.  That was nearly spot on as Keith Hill decided to bring Scott Spencer on for his debut but took Rundle off instead. 

It almost worked a treat as Spencer had a great chance with about five minutes left as a TK ball was left by Dagnall and went past the defender and into the path of Spencer who had made a brilliant run but he couldn’t get enough power on it having been one on one.  Spencer’s brief cameo was quite impressive and I look forward to seeing him more often as he seems to have good movement and given chances, might score a few. 

How we weren’t winning the game was beyond me and I’d have been gutted to only get a point.  I shouldn’t have thought that because in the last minute of normal time, a very poor Holness mistake saw him get caught in possession by the ancient Barry Hayles who played the ball across to the just as ancient Julian Alsop who managed to miscue his shot but it still ended up past Arthur and into the Dale net to the heartbreak of the Dale fans.  It was an unfortunate mistake as Holness did superbly on Saturday and again last night until that point. 

Five minutes of stoppage time was called and I had to leave early to head off to work but I’m told that Spencer went close with a long range effort before the referee blew for full time. We won on Saturday with a last minute winner, we

lost last night to a last minute winner.  The annoying thing is, we’ve completely deserved to win both games.  But, as Maybe put on the messageboard, it’s better to have three points as to have drawn both games. 

We seem to be missing a striker who can score twenty goals a season.  Funnily enough, we come up against one we’ve just let go, for not enough money in my eyes, on Sunday when we take on Rotherham United and Adam Le Fondre.    

Photo: Action Images



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